For much of her life, Olivia, an 8-year-old German shepherd, has helped others. Now, Campbell County Search and Rescue is hoping the community will return the favor.

Olivia, a therapy dog and member of the search and rescue team, was recently diagnosed with an aggressive form of bone cancer. On Tuesday, she had to have her right front leg amputated to stop the spread of the disease. She's also set for four rounds of chemotherapy. Medical bills could top $5,000, so friends are seeking donations to help defray the bills.

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Olivia, a rescue dog with Campbell County Search & Rescue has bone cancer and must have her right front leg amputated and receive chemotherapy. They are seeking donations to help pay for this expensive life-saving treatment.

"We hope people will decide that it's their turn to help Olivia," said Campbell County Search and Rescue Chief Rob Dawn.

Olivia is owned by Batavia resident Shana Bockelman, who has had the black silver tip breed and her all-white sister, Lexi, since the dogs were four months old. Bockelman runs the ASPCA's Canine Animal Assistance Program, which trains dogs to serve as therapy dogs, so a life of service was destined.

They were certified and started working as therapy dogs when they were 1-1/2 years old. In that role, they visited the sick and aged, played with children and represented CAAP at community events. They even worked with UPS, as the package company taught drivers how to deal with their customers' dogs.

"If you live with us, you work for your kibble," joked Bockelman.

For the past two years, Olivia and her sister's work has taken on even more import. The two, along with Bockelman's other dog, Aiden, a rescued drug enforcement dog, have been working with Campbell County Search and Rescue.

After months of training, they've been employed in finding missing people and animals.

Olivia was credited with finding a lost child in Ohio last summer. After the boy disappeared from his home, Olivia found him hidden under a bridge six miles away. Following a police tip, Bockelman took Olivia to a rural area where the search had narrowed.

"Olivia caught his scent when we were pulling up in the car," she said. "When we got out of the car, she was ready to go. She kept stamping her feet like 'come on, let's go.' I hadn't seen her do that before."

Fifteen minutes later, Olivia found the boy.

"She was indicating, telling us he was right there. We still couldn't see him. In the end, when we finally did see him, all we could see was about a 3-by-3 piece of his jeans. He was pretty well hidden, but Olivia knew exactly where he was," said Bockelman. "She wouldn't let us move until we got him."

The boy was returned home, safe and sound.

Two weeks ago, it became Olivia's turn to need help. After recurring leg problems, she returned from a run around the backyard with a severely swollen ankle, Bockelman said. X-rays and blood work found nothing wrong, at first. Then, the diagnosis: Olivia had an osteosarcoma, a quickly advancing form of bone cancer. Without treatment, she had only three months — at most — to live.

The news hit hard.

Bockelman said she was depressed for days as doctors decided the best treatment. Dawn, a self-described "stout guy," said he cried.

"Our dogs are our family. I mean, I'm a 41-year-old guy. I do karate and those sort of tough guy things, but when I heard about Olivia, I was just in tears," Dawn said. "It's unbelievable how attached you get to these animals that show you such loyalty and caring."

Doctors decided full amputation was Olivia's best chance at survival. She had her operation Tuesday at Covedale Animal Hospital and is doing fine, said Bockelman, though she was having some trouble with pain management. Olivia's scheduled to begin chemotherapy on Thursday.

A full recovery could take months.

She might be eligible for a special study being conducted in Pennsylvania, which would mean back-and-forth trips for weeks for Olivia and Bockelman, and even more expense.

"Whatever needs to be done, Olivia's worth it," Bockelman said. "She's helped so many people, has had such an impact on so many lives. She's my rock, my baby and she still has a lot left to give. I can't imagine not being there to help people. I know Olivia loves it, and I love working with her doing it."

Olivia is officially retired as a search and rescue dog, but will still be a therapy dog.

Dawn has set up a fund to help pay for Olivia's care. He hopes that once Olivia's needs are taken care of, the excess funds will be used to help with medical needs of Search and Rescue's other 11 canine members.

"We work in some pretty hazardous situations and dogs have been cut. Until now, the vet bill would come right out of their handler's pocket — we're an all-volunteer outfit, so that mechanism just isn't there," he said.

"But right now, we're focused only on Olivia," Dawn said. "She's a great dog. I've worked with dogs for 22 years, and she's one of my favorites."⬛

TO DONATE

Send money for Olivia, in care of Campbell County Search and Rescue, P.O. Box 484, Alexandria, Ky. 41001, or www.campbellcountysar.com.